news Next Sunday, April 28, the halls of Detroit Lakes’ Trinity Lutheran Church will be filled with the sound of music — not to mention the colorful artwork of Detroit Lakes High School students. The Colonial Church of Edina Chamber Choir will be the ones providing the music. “Last summer I met (choral...
Detroit Lakes, 56501

Detroit Lakes Minnesota 511 Washington Avenue 56501

2013-04-21 09:04:25

Next Sunday, April 28, the halls of Detroit Lakes’ Trinity Lutheran Church will be filled with the sound of music — not to mention the colorful artwork of Detroit Lakes High School students.

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The Colonial Church of Edina Chamber Choir will be the ones providing the music.

“Last summer I met (choral director) Mark Stover, and heard his remarkable choir, the Chamber Singers, at St. Olaf College during a weeklong music seminar,” said Mark Berg, music and arts program director at Trinity. “I asked them to come and perform at Trinity.”

Several months later, the stars have aligned to bring this talented 20-member vocal ensemble to Detroit Lakes.

“They will be here at Trinity to perform for both church services on Sunday, April 28, and will give us a special concert at 4:30 that afternoon,” Berg added.

The concert is free and open to the public, courtesy of a gift from Roger and Sharon Josephson in honor of Sharon’s mother, the late Hazel Harvego.

The choir will be performing “Lux Aeterna (Eternal Light)” by Morten Lauridsen, which Berg describes as “a very relaxing, accessible piece that’s enjoyable to listen to.”

The choir members will be staying with host families in the community during their brief visit.

After Sunday’s concert, guests and church members are invited to stay for an open house reception honoring the 84 DLHS students participating in Trinity’s 9th Annual Student Art Exhibit, “The Art of Ideas.”

The reception starts at 6:30 p.m. As per tradition, many of the students will be on hand to discuss their work and explain the inspiration behind it.

The exhibit will also be on display at the church from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every week day.

Berg said the student art exhibit began almost a decade ago, when he happened to notice a poster display on the walls of Detroit Lakes High School while he was there attending a basketball game.

“I went on a walk through the school and I came across a wall of posters made by the kids from Vern Schnathorst’s graphic arts class,” Berg said. “They were very positive and extremely creative.”

Berg asked to display the posters at Trinity for a few weeks, and Schnathorst agreed.

The next year, Berg approached art teacher David Balfour about allowing his students to be included in the exhibit.

“There was a lot more interest from the students than expected,” he said.

Balfour also attended the reception honoring the artists, and was “very impressed” by what he saw and heard.

And so a tradition was born.

“It’s grown every year,” Berg said. “There are 84 students participating this year — that’s the most we’ve ever had.”

The variety of artwork exhibited by the students has also expanded, as interest and enthusiasm for participating in the show has grown.

“It’s all about the kids,” Berg said. “This is not a competition. It’s about appreciation and recognition of their talent.”

“Mark Berg and his wife Julie have been very strong advocates and supporters of the arts and our art program here at the high school,” said Balfour. “The art show has been embraced by Trinity Lutheran Church and its members to help us show our students’ wares.

“There have been other entities like the Holmes Theatre, headed by Amy Stearns and associates, which have hosted our show also in the past too. It has been seen and appreciated by many people within our greater Detroit Lakes area, which I really appreciate.

“We have a very large group of interested and talented art students here at DLHS. Many of our current and past students have pursued their personal art goals and beliefs into blossoming art related careers such as art educators, professional artists, media arts specialists and jobs within the arts business world in general.

“I believe that the skills they acquire here through our high school art classes, they then can and do carry into a lifelong skill and appreciation of the arts they’ve learned… We are all fortunate to have a place in our school and our community to showcase these young art students’ talents.”

This year, some of Amy Knopf’s graphic arts students are included in the exhibit as well.

“We jumped on board doing the art show when Mark Berg approached me about it,” Knopf said, because it was a tradition begun with Vern Schnathorst’s students in years past.

“I teach graphic design using Photoshop in the business department at the high school,” she said. “Students create posters by editing pictures of their choice. They are also required to put inspirational quotes on them that are appropriate for the type of picture they chose.

“The posters are featured on a wall in the high school for students and visitors to see. It is a great opportunity for students to showcase their creativity and skills. It is a unique class compared to the traditional business classes.

“Students really enjoy the hands on element of the class and the opportunity to create individual pieces according to their interests and hobbies.”

“The purpose of the arts is to help us see the world a little differently — and that’s how we grow,” said Berg. “It helps to remind us what’s important.”

He added that the annual art show “shows the tremendous excellence of our teachers, and really underscores the creativity, expressiveness and positive attitude of our students.”

Trinity Lutheran Church is located at 1401 Madison Avenue in Detroit Lakes. For more information, please contact Mark Berg at 218-849-4337.